Lisa Grossman is the astronomy writer for Science News. Previously she was a news editor at New Scientist, where she ran the physical sciences section of the magazine for three years. Before that, she spent three years at New Scientist as a reporter, covering space, physics and astronomy. She has a degree in astronomy from Cornell University and a graduate certificate in science writing from UC Santa Cruz. Lisa was a finalist for the AGU David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism, and received the Institute of Physics/Science and Technology Facilities Council physics writing award and the AAS Solar Physics Division Popular Writing Award. She interned at Science News in 2009-2010.

All Stories by Lisa Grossman

  1. Ultima Thule
    Planetary Science

    Ultima Thule may be a frankenworld

    The first geologic map of Ultima Thule shows it might be made of many smaller rocks that clumped together under the force of their own gravity.

  2. coronal mass ejections

    Merging magnetic blobs fuel the sun’s huge plasma eruptions

    Solar eruptions called coronal mass ejections grow from a series of smaller events, observations show.

  3. Kepler 1658b

    The first planet Kepler spotted has finally been confirmed 10 years later

    Astronomers had dismissed the first exoplanet candidate spotted by the Kepler space telescope as a false alarm.

  4. ‘Oumuamua

    3 explanations for ‘Oumuamua that aren’t alien spaceships

    Astronomers are coming up with some creative ideas to explain the weird behavior of the first known interstellar object.

  5. Hayabusa2
    Planetary Science

    Hayabusa2 just tried to collect asteroid dust for the first time

    The Japanese Hayabusa2 spacecraft touched down on asteroid Ryugu and attempted to gather a sample of its rock to bring back to Earth.

  6. black hole formation

    Colliding neutron stars shot a light-speed jet through space

    A stream of particles created in a neutron star crash, detected in 2017 using gravitational waves, could explain certain mysterious flashes of light.

  7. Neptune, Proteus and Hippocamp
    Planetary Science

    Neptune’s smallest moon may be a chip off another moon

    Neptune’s tiniest moon probably formed when a comet hit a larger moon.

  8. Mars ice caps
    Planetary Science

    Mars’ lake may need an underground volcano to exist

    If a lake under Martian ice is real, there must be a subsurface magma pool to keep conditions warm enough for water to remain liquid, scientists say.

  9. quasicrystal pattern

    The quest for quasicrystals is a physics adventure tale

    In ‘The Second Kind of Impossible,’ physicist Paul Steinhardt recounts his journey to find quasicrystals in nature.

  10. shadow of Opportunity rover on Mars
    Planetary Science

    After 15 years on Mars, it’s the end of the road for Opportunity

    After 15 years of exploring Mars, a dust storm led to the demise of NASA’s longest-lived rover.

  11. object striking moon during lunar eclipse
    Planetary Science

    A basketball-sized rock hit the moon during the last lunar eclipse

    Professional and amateur astronomers joined forces to analyze the impact.

  12. Titan
    Planetary Science

    Titan’s oddly thick atmosphere may come from cooked organic compounds

    Saturn’s moon Titan might get some of its hazy atmosphere by baking organic molecules in a warm core.